2018 - Check-in 12 June

Me, talking to my inner self - selfie - it's on the subway queue

Checkin' IN!!!

It's time for another check-in.  Highlight of last week was having the opportunity to run with a local friend from Logan, Utah.  I was able to catch up with Adrian and run.  He met up with me at Central Park in NYC and caught up at the guggenheim history museum.  Anyway.  It was the longest run I was able to get in - in a long time!  Whats more?  I totally wanted to actually run for once!  For me it was a total easy run at about an RPE of 2, and I could tell that after a few long days for Adrian it was what he needed too.

The lead up to this run came with a lot of work stress and many other things I can't get into.  That being said, the work dimension has caused me to travel a lot again.  So, enter in some major family dynamic changes.  All of this amid the plumbing issue we discovered which caused us to have nearly 1/3 of our house to be put into a mold eradication zone.  It was crazy, I say it was - because today they took it all down and the next phase begins.

I had the chance to get out on a run on Tuesday too.  It felt good to get out and let go.  Threw my watch around my ankle.  I do like having the data to check in on, but I want to get my base back and build up a bit different, a bit more intelligent, and drive a deeper purpose into this crawl out of the cellar!  Holy nelson, it was a difficult work week.  I wasn't able to get the extra run in that I wanted,  But I was able to get to a good restaurant and I gues that was a fair sideways trade.

Also, another dynamic from last week was pretty cool.  I stayed in HARLEM.  It was crazy.  There was a cool interesting vibe to being in a city that has such a history.  I walked around and came up to the Apollo Theatre.  Crazy, it was just right there.  I took a walk around after hitting up BBW because nothing else was in the area next to the subway stop at 125th. It was interesting as it was quite interesting and safe while I was out and about, however the deeper I got I was able to find that it just seemed to be a growing absence of lights and sound.  It was comforting but at the same time I knew I was going into a space I shouldn't be alone.  The ability to face simple fear and keep on going.  It's something that has grown and been matured for many years and especially in the last few since I got back to getting back into endurance minded sports.

As, I have been thinking through my recent frustrations and challenges associated to our move and family changes in environment, I have been trying to focus on mindset.  This space is interesting for me, however for the dynamic of the family.  I HAVE a LONG road in front of me.  Especially with my 12 year old that just seems to keep growing!  Holy crap, he's 12 already.  Can you believe that.  We finally got him his suit after a few LONG weeks of waiting for the tailor to turn it around.  Anyway, I am trying to get into a better space with him and especially with Liz seeing and knowing that I am trying.

The dynamics of family, change and trying to actually improve is a very real thing as it pertains to trying to live this thing of endurance sports.  Triathlon, the three sport multi-sport addiction sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.  I guess I discovered myself crawling through a gulf of FUNK.  After gearing up into December where I was starting to really find a consistent pattern that was really good. I was getting into the 2 hours of running 3 x's a week, but it was just not fitting with our family dynamic.  Then add in the collision of selling and purchasing a new to us home and CRASH!

So last week finally crept up.  I kind of put things aside and tried to get things done that our family needs.  Add in a large heaping handful of work stress, and the want to just run and let it all fade away hit.  Sometimes, I find that it just happens.  You have to be patient, and let things happen and not over push it.  That being said, I was able to have a great and simple week of running.  The simplicity of the 10 Km loop in Central Park makes it so much easier to identify measurements that make it easy to measure.   And then I can actually toss it all aside, because of the cues and the familiarity of the park, I can sense where I am in trying to find my 'FLOW'.  The trip before I had a long disastrous run, but I stopped and took in some of the things I had never noticed before, like the bridge on the pond.

So here I think I really sit.  I am needing to cancel the 70.3 plans in Boulder.  It just isn't going to fit right now.  I do however, need to focus on a simple run block.  That being said,  last week I had a good start.  It wasn't exactly what I used to be nor is it where I think I can go.  I remember speaking with Adrian and stating that I do not think that I have reached my potential.  So let's keep it simple:

1. Be consistent in my running.  Try to knock out my upcoming runs as consistent as possible.
2. forget about tech for the week and just run and deal with findings at the end of the week.

• The small caveat is a corporate activity thing I started - its a diabetic prevention program for 12-16 weeks and then I think it carries for the whole year

So it's simple and I guess while I am sitting on a plane, that's the simple recipe for this week.  I will be trying to get in 3 CP runs and seeing how I can do off watch.  Anyway, not sure the purpose of this post other than needing to get focused into returning to a small perspective of what I like to do.  Because what I love is my wife and family.  I embraced triathlon and in some ways it has not yet embraced me, and I am trying to break that down with consistent improvements.  So here we go!

Post flight, I got a run in, strapped the watch around my ankle and ran the first mile sub 8 minutes.  It was all by feel and it felt great.  As I mentioned I will not focus on data during the run to see what the results are and make choices and habits from there.  Very good run tho overall and I had moments where I was like, I feel great, but tone it back a bit.  My breathing and my frame are not as consistent as I want them.  That is where I need to be patient and focus on so that I don't go out too strong and fade.  But I will say that if Dennis wants to do the Freedom Run on the 4th of July, I'll be good to go.  The question is will he?

Activities - 

I use the following trackers:

• Garmin Connect (which pushes the files to the following services):
• Training Peaks
• Strava
• and the ones I don't remember (Map my stuff via Under Armour and things like the Great Bicycle ride initiative stuff)

Honestly, I mainly use Training Peaks as I pay for an annual subscription on it now, and it is the most detailed in data and other helpful information to keep me where I want to go.

Relevant Pics

take picture dad, take one NOW!

Got Dennis his first suit!  Glammin' it up!

Cheese smile!

Sisters!

mom in her elements!